Abstract
Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry has repeatedly drawn the attention of many literary critics since his poems have meticulously been delved into from different perspectives. Undeniably, a multitude of references that allude to ancient Greek mythology and classical literature are present within his verses. These have been noticed and delineated by noteworthy Poe scholars such as Scott Peeples, Kenneth Silverman, Daniel Hoffman and Kevin Hayes in several of their researches in the past. However, despite the wide range of studies that have been published, one cannot encounter any mention regarding the existence of Hellenic motifs or even a reference to an apparent Hellenism in Poe’s poetry. In an effort to outline what has already been affirmed with respect to this topic and to unearth additional links between Poe’s works and Greece, the present essay aims to determine the presence of Hellenic motifs in Poe’s “To Helen” and “Lenore”.
Highlights
Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry has continually drawn the attention of a variety of scholars and researchers
The romance employed in his verses has meticulously been delved into by several noteworthy Poe scholars such as Joseph Reed (1981), or Jerome McGann (2014), who both noticed that the American author unmistakably attempts to explore his own concept of ideal beauty in an array of his poems
Building upon the aforementioned scholar’s findings, I intend to identify all references in Poe’s selected verses that might allude to the Hellenic domain in an attempt to unearth additional links between Poe and Greece
Summary
Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry has continually drawn the attention of a variety of scholars and researchers. I aim to delve into two of Poe’s most distinguished poems, “To Helen” and “Lenore”, in order to determine the obvious presence of Greek motifs in his masterpieces. This line of investigation might indicate Poe’s captivation by the Hellenic domain while composing his poetry. Such systematic research on the Hellenism of Poe’s poems has never been conducted—by the term Hellenism I refer to the existence of notions, characters or even words in the American author’s works, all of which bear connections with the Hellenic realm. Following the aforesaid scholar’s lead, I initially intend to scrutinize the selected poems by indicating interpretations regarding the poems and proceeding to the unearthing of additional references that might prove the existence of philhellenic patterns
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